Oakland’s 3rd-ranked girls cruise
MURFREESBORO — Oakland’s girls entered Friday night’s game against Warren County as the No. 3 team in Class AAA, and wasted no time confirming that they do, indeed, live up to their reputation.
The Lady Patriots jumped out to an early 10-0 lead, and maintained a double-digit advantage throughout their 55-31 win over the visiting Lady Pioneers, improving to 10-0 in league play in the process while dropping WCHS to 2-8.
Overall, Warren County’s girls now stand at 9-12 on the season, while Oakland upped its record to 18-1.
Tenacious defensive pressure, resulting in multiple Warren County turnovers, were the biggest keys to the Lady Patriots’ success. Forcing seven turnovers in each of the first two periods, Oakland took advantage of the Lady Pioneers’ giveaways, and built a 15-4 lead by the end of the first quarter before heading into intermission with a hefty 27-11 advantage.
Up by as many as 22 in the third quarter, Oakland, which was celebrating Homecoming, had its edge cut to 15 thanks to a 7-0 Lady Pioneer run late in the third. But Tabitha Almader, a Shelbyville transfer who finished with nine points, knocked down a 3-pointer with four ticks left in the quarter to give her team a 40-22 edge moving into the fourth.
Warren County upped its production early in the game’s final stanza, and benefited from a Leah Cunningham 3-pointer, as well as four straight free throws from Amanda Locke and Whitney Pelham, to trip their deficit to 11 points at 42-31. But Oakland finished the game on a high note, out-scoring the Lady Pioneers 13-0 through the final four minutes of the contest and securing the lopsided victory.
Pelham led the way for WCHS with an 11-point night, while Vanessa Cornelius had six despite going into the paint against Oakland’s 6-foot-4 center, Sarah Riddle.
Locke and Cunningham chipped in five points each, while McKenna Rhea and Heather Frazier turned in two apiece.
Riddle paced Oakland with 18 points, while Ashley Asberry had 14. Almader’s nine was followed by Tara Davis, who had seven, while Hilary Johnson scored three. Lanae Malone and Sarah King chipped in two points apiece.
The Lady Pioneers return to Murfreesboro Tuesday, where they’ll take on Blackman with the hope of notching their first District 7-AAA sweep of the season.